Rose’s hopes about not looking like a French maid were dashed. She wore a black dress with a white lacy apron as she carried a plate of drinks around for the party guests. The men were dressed in tuxes. Her cheeks heated as she imagined the Doctor in a tux. His normal suits made him look foxy enough but a tuxedo would probably set her pulse racing so much he’d confine her to the medical bay. If she didn’t snog his brains out first.
Giving her head a shake, she reminded herself that the best way to learn what was going on was to be on staff. The staff was virtually invisible. She could eavesdrop on conversations, mix and mingle, and hear all the information she needed. She could also get a good look at her parents and probably get caught up on the gossip about them without raising any suspicions. In a few hours, she might know for certain if she were the reason that Pete Tyler was dead in her world and her mother was doomed to live in a tiny flat. Though, if she did find out that she was the cause of her father’s death and her mother’s inability to move up in the world, Rose wasn’t certain she’d ever be able to forgive herself.
As she moved through the crowds, finding out that Great Britain had a President and not a Prime Minister, Rose wondered if the guest of honor would ever make an appearance. No sooner did the thought cross her mind than she heard her father’s voice calling out, requesting silence and patience. She moved so that she could see him, her heart pounding in her chest.
Pete Tyler stood on the stairs, looking around awkwardly. Rose’s heart went out to him. She wanted to fling herself at him, to weep against his chest and feel him stroke her hair and tell her that she was his little girl and he was so proud of everything she accomplished. She wanted to tell him of the Doctor leaving her for a French tart and hear him tell her that if the Doctor couldn’t see how wonderful Rose Tyler was, he was an idiot and didn’t deserve her. But, she held herself rigid. It was one thing to fantasize. She needed to know exactly what was going on in this parallel world.
“Thank you all for coming on this very special occasion,” Pete Tyler, magnate of Vitex Industries, was saying. “My wife’s 39th.” The crowds chuckled. Rose fought to hide a grin. Her mum was 40. Still, feminine vanity seemed to be universal. Or multi-versal as the case may be. “Trust me, on this,” Pete continued, giving a thumbs-up as he had in his advertisement. “So, without any further ado, here she is. The birthday girl, my lovely wife, Jackie Tyler.”
The crowd applauded as Rose’s mum walked down the stairs. She was dressed in a smart black dress that clung to her, emphasizing her figure. Rose blinked. Her mother was really beautiful. Suddenly, she felt like a dirty child, covered in mud. She would never be half as beautiful as her mum nor a quarter-graceful as Madame du Pompadour. No wonder the Doctor had left her.
“Now, I’m not giving a speech,” Jackie began, looking elegant and gracious. Being among such a posh crowd seemed right and fitting for her. “That’s what my parties are famous for. No work. No politics. Just a few good mates – and plenty of black market whiskey.” The crowd chuckled and Jackie turned to smile at the President. “Pardon me, Mr. President.” Addressing the crowd once more, she grinned, “So yeah, get on with it. Enjoy.” Applauded rippled through the hallway as Rose watched her mother and father descend the stairs. They looked so happy. They were so rich.
And she didn’t exist.
They had each other in this universe. Back home, her mother had no one.
When her mother called out for “Rose,” her heart nearly beat its way out of her chest. When a little Yorkshire terrier answered and Jackie picked it up, exclaiming over it like it was the most precious thing in existence, Rose Tyler, alien from a parallel universe, thought she would never feel so tiny and unimportant again no matter how long she lived.
“No wonder the Doctor left me,” she muttered. “I’m worth less than a damned dog.”
Squaring her shoulders, Rose began moving among the guests again, determined not to do anything else to draw attention to herself. After all, it’s not like she was important. It’s not like she was worth anything.
No wonder the Doctor had left her.
She hoped he had found the kind of love with Reinette that would make him happy. She hoped that the pair of them had a dozen children. She hoped that the Doctor’s life was filled with bliss beyond imagining.
And she hoped, desperately, that something would come along and kill her any second now before her heart shattered any more.
~*~*~*~
Mickey sat in a chair, his arms bound behind him. Blond-spiky bloke was scanning him with some kind of weird wand. It reminded him of the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver.
“He’s clean. No bugs.”
“But this is off the scale,” Mickey’s counterpart muttered, staring at him with a mix of anger and confusion. “He’s flesh and blood. How did that happen?”
“Well, it could be that Cybus Industries have perfected the science of human cloning?” Mrs. Moore suggested. “Or your father had a bank.”
Ricky stared at Mickey as he walked around him. “And your name is Mickey?”
“Mickey,” he agreed, terrified. “Dad was Jackson Smith. Used to work at a key-cutters in Clifton Parade. Went to Spain. Never came back.”
“But that’s my dad,” Ricky growled, bending at the waist near Mickey’s ear. “So…we’re brothers?”
“Be fair,” blond-spike bloke grinned. “What else could it be?”
“I don’t know,” Ricky spat. “But he doesn’t just look like me. He is exactly the same. There’s something else going on here.”
“So…so who are you lot?” Mickey asked in a rush.
“We? We are the preachers. As in gospel truth. You see – no earpods. While the rest of the world downloads from Cybus Industries, we – we have got freedom.” Ricky had moved around and was squatting in front of Mickey. His eyes were angry and his jaw clenched. “You’re talking to London’s Most Wanted. But target number one is Lumic and we are going to bring him down,” Ricky promised.
“From your kitchen?” Mickey asked.
Ricky and blond-spike shared a glance. “Have you got a problem with that?”
“No. It’s a good kitchen,” Mickey said.
The tense silence was broken by Mrs. Moore. A tone sounded. “It’s an upload from Gemini,” she said.
“Who’s Gemini?” Mickey asked.
“The vans are back,” she continued, ignoring his question. Ricky had stood back up but was glaring at Mickey as if he wanted to tear his twin apart. “They’re moving out of Batta-C. Looks like Gemini was right. Lumic’s finally making a move.”
“And we are right behind him,” Ricky said, giving a jerk of his head. “Pack up, we’re leaving.”
Mickey was released and taken to the van. They sat in the dark, waiting until some other vans appeared out of the night, taking the road in front of them. They followed, the passengers loading and cocking rifles. Mickey looked scared and confused. He barely knew the first thing about guns. Rose knew a little bit but only because of that American girl she’d been friends with. God, he wished Rose were here to get him out of this mess. Or to at least tell him how to shoot. He had a feeling he was going to wish he’d paid more attention to Rose and her letters from that American girl before the night was over.
He just hoped the night wouldn’t end with him being shot. Rose had lost the Doctor. He wasn’t certain if she’d be able to stand losing him as well. True, she loved the Doctor so much that Mickey wished the two of them would just get on with it but he was still her best mate. He had taught her how to take a bloke down if one ever got too free with his hands. “Doctor,” he thought silently, “where ever you are, I hope you know that, if I die, you’ll probably never see Rose again. But if you do, treat her better than you have, okay? She’s Rose Tyler. She deserves better than me…or you.”
~*~*~*~
Rose made her way through the crowds with her empty tray tucked under her arm. She was heading back to the kitchen to reload it. With an empty tray, she would stand out in the crowd. The staff wasn’t supposed to loll about even if it was a party. It was their job to tend to the guests.
As she made her way to the kitchen a darkened room with only a faint blue light in it caught her eye. She glanced around – no one was watching her. Quickly, she accessed the information she needed. Mickey’s interest in computers had rubbed off on her and the TARDIS’s own lessons had deepened her knowledge further. What she found made her stomach clench. Hurrying back off to the kitchens, she refilled her plate and then moved back into the room. Pete Tyler walked over to her and stopped. His eyes were watching his wife and a smile was on his lips.
“I remember her twenty-first,” he said off-handedly. “A pint of cider in the George.”
“Champagne?” Rose asked politely. Pete turned and looked at her.
“Ah. Might as well,” he replied, lifting a glass off the tray. The way he looked at Rose made her heart melt and her resolve waver. “I am paying for it.”
“Big night for you,” Rose said conversationally. God, how she wanted to hug him!
“Well, for her,” he replied, nodding towards his wife. “Still, she’s happy.”
“And she should be,” Rose responded with aplomb. “It’s a great party.”
“Do you think?”
“You can trust me,” Rose grinned, holding the tray with one hand while giving a thumbs-up with the other. Pete laughed.
“You can trust me on this,” he laughed, with a wink.
“That’s it, sorry,” Rose smiled. The two of them shared a laugh. “So…um,” Rose began. “How long have you two been married?”
“Twenty years.”
“And no kids?”
“We kept putting it off. She said she didn’t want to spoil her figure.”
“It’s not too late,” Rose sighed. “She’s only forty.”
“Thirty-nine,” Pete corrected her.
“Oh, right,” Rose grinned conspiratorially. “Thirty-nine.” She and Pete shared another laugh.
“Still too late,” he said sadly. “I moved out last month. But, we’re gonna keep it quiet. You know, it’s bad for business.” He seemed to regain some sense of himself. “Why am I telling you all of this? We haven’t met before, have we? I dunno,” he muttered, confused. “You just seem sort of…”
“What?” Rose asked, her heart pounding and sweat forming under her arms and on her palms.
“I dunno. Just sort of…right,” he replied, even more confused than before. He stared at her for a long moment before turning to someone else. “Stevie, how’s things?” he asked, walking away from Rose. She bit her lower lip to stop the tears she felt forming in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die right then and there.
Forcing herself to stand upright, Rose continued her role as serving-girl. She would deal with the pain later. Much later.
~*~*~*~
Mickey sat in the truck with Mrs. Moore. She and Ricky were talking over a walky-talky. “I’ve identified the address,” she said. “It belongs to Peter Tyler. The Vitex millionaire.”
“Pete Tyler?” Mickey said, disbelief clear in his voice.
“He’s listed as one of Lumic’s henchmen,” she explained. “A traitor to the State.”
“We…we gotta get in there,” Mickey said breathlessly. Poor Rose.
“Shut it, duplicate,” Ricky growled. “That’s what I just said.” There was a beat of silence then, “What are they doing?” Mickey could hear loud stomping over the walky-talky. “What the hell are they?”
~*~*~*~
Rose wandered through the mansion. She spied Jackie standing by herself. Deciding to take a risk, she walked out onto the balcony, still carrying her tray of champagne. “Mrs. Tyler, is there anything I can get you?” she asked.
“The last twenty years back,” Jackie replied.
“I can manage a glass of champagne,” Rose said, uncertain of how to continue. “Or a nice cup of tea?”
“Oh, that would do me,” Jackie said with a smile as she turned to regard the young woman. Rose decided to take a risk. Moving to sit down on the bench next to Jackie, she set the tray on her lap. “Mum would love that. She’d stay up all night just for that last glass of tea.”
“Oh, I’m the same,” Jackie grinned.
“Two sugars.”
“And me. And Pete always says, ‘You know…” she cut off sadly. “Never mind him.”
“I was talking to him earlier. He’s a nice man. You know, a bit of a joke, I suppose, even if he has got money but he’s a good bloke. But the most…he’s worth a second chance.”
“Are you commenting on my marriage?” Jackie demanded icily.
“No, I was just…”
“Who the hell do you think you are? You’re staff. You’re nothing but staff. You’re just a serving girl for God’s sake. And you are certainly not getting paid tonight. Don’t you dare talk to me,” she snarled as she rose from the bench and went back into the house. Rose stared at the tray on her lap. She was nothing. Her own mother’s alter ego had said so. Her own father’s alter ego didn’t even recognize her. She was nothing.
No wonder the Doctor had left her.
Before she had a chance to ruminate on that thought, a bright light flashed in her eyes. Rose heard loud, clomping steps, as if steel were hitting stone. She blinked and squinted, trying to see what was coming. Her eyes wouldn’t focus in the harsh light and she began wondering if maybe she needed glasses. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of the way the Doctor would pull his glasses out of his coat pocket’s inner lining and settle them on his nose, his big, chocolate-brown eyes peering through them as he studied whatever it was. Her own hazel-nut eyes wouldn’t look as good, she thought, distracting herself from the fear of whatever it was tramping its way up the drive.
“This is our greatest step into cyberspace,” the voice from the computer she’d listened to earlier whispered in her mind. “The ultimate upgrade.” The shadows on the lawn resolved themselves into metallic humanoid shapes. She darted back into the house and made her way to a window, leaving her tray sitting on the bench she and Jackie had shared. She watched as this army of metal men made their way closer and closer. A sense of wrongness washed over her. Somewhere…perhaps in the Time Vortex…she had seen these creatures before. “Cybermen,” she whispered, putting a name to the horror as she realized exactly what she was staring at. “Not again,” she muttered, unaware that she was no longer speaking English.
Windows shattered and guests began screaming in fright. Rose huddled against the wall, hoping to go un-noticed in the crush of terrified people.
“Mr. Lumic,” the President of Great Britain said.
“Mr. President,” a voice answered. “I suppose a remark about crashing the party would be appropriate at this point, sir.”
“I forbade this,” the President said.
“These are my children, sir. Would you deny my family?”
“These are worse than robots,” Rose thought to herself as she stared at the horrific creatures of metal and worse blocking off the entrances. How she knew this, she did not know. All she did know was that this could not be. She must put an end to it.
Even if it killed her.
“Who were these people?” the President demanded.
“It doesn’t matter,” the voice of Lumic replied angrily. “I demand to know, Lumic! These people, who were they?”
“They were homeless and wretched and useless until I saved them and elevated them and gave them life eternal!” Lumic’s voice boomed so loudly that Rose could hear it even without earpods. Her stomach twisted as she took in the fullness of the abominations before her. Human beings, their brains stripped out of their bodies, welded into skins of steel. Their emotions were removed because it would hurt too much if they could feel anything. “And now I leave you in their capable hands. Good night, sir. Good night, Mr. President,” the voice cut off. One of the creatures approached the President and stared at him out of cold, dead, dark eye sockets.
“We have been upgraded,” a metallic voice said.
“Into what?” Rose asked.
“Into the next level of mankind. We are human point two. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us.”
“I’m sorry,” the President said. “I’m so sorry for what’s been done to you. But listen to me,” he pleaded with a politician’s practiced voice. “This experiment ends tonight.”
“Upgrading is compulsory,” the robotic voice replied.
“And if I refuse?” the President asked. “What if I refuse? What happens if I refuse?”
“Then you are not compatible,” the robot who had once been human replied.
“What happens then?”
“You will be deleted,” the steel man said as it reached up an arm and placed it on the President’s shoulder. Electricity shot out of its hand and the President’s body began to tremble in its grasp. His eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed to the ground, dead. The rest of the party guests screamed and began scattering. Rose ran as well. There was no way in hell she was going to be turned into some freaky cyborg.
Even if it meant that maybe, just maybe, she’d be able to stop hurting so much.
Better the pain.
As she listened to the people scream, Rose had to remind herself that this wasn’t her world. The Tylers in there were not her parents. If she could escape…she could figure out a way to put a stop to this. That’s what the Doctor would do.
And that’s what Rose Tyler would do. No matter the cost.
As she leapt out of one of the broken windows, she saw Pete Tyler follow after her. “Is there a way out?” she demanded, reaching back to grab his hand. It didn’t fit hers as well as the Doctor’s had but it still felt right.
“The side gate,” he answered as they ran. “Who are you? How do you know so much?”
“You wouldn’t believe it in a million years,” she answered. As they ran, she spied two figures running up towards them. “Who’s that?” she wondered.
“Get behind me!” she heard Mickey’s voice shout at her. She ran behind him and another bloke – a guy with spiky hair – and ducked. They had automatic rifles. Rose hadn’t seen one of those in years. Not since her last trip to the United States to visit her mate Maggie. They opened fire, spraying the metal men with a barrage of bullets that Rose knew would be useless.
“Oh my God, look at you,” she said to Mickey, wrapping her arms around him and pulling his face to her shoulder. “I thought I’d never see you again!”
Mickey pulled away and glared at her. “Yeah. No offense, sweetheart, but who the hell are you?”
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see another Mickey running towards her. “Rose!” he called out. “That’s not me. That’s like…the other one.”
The metal men surrounded them. The spiky-haired bloke kept firing. “Stop!” Rose shouted. “Bullets won’t hurt them.” She’d heard enough ricochets and had learned enough from Maggie to know that metal just bounced against metal unless you were packing some serious power. Like Abrams tank serious. “Put the guns down,” she ordered those with her. “Put your hands up. We surrender!” she shouted to the metal men. “There’s no need to damage us. We’re good stock. We…volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed.”
“You are rogue elements,” came that tinny, robotic reply.
“But we surrender,” Rose protested.
“You are incompatible.”
“But this is a surrender.”
“You will be deleted.”
“We’re surrendering!” Rose cried, tears welling in her eyes. She felt as if she had lived through this before. “Listen to me, we surrender!”
“You are inferior and will be reborn as Cybermen and you will perish of maximum deletion. Delete, delete, delete, delete,” the voice repeated, reminding Rose eerily of her encounter with the Daleks. One of the Cybermen reached towards her and she cringed.
Better the pain than living as a heartless, emotionless robot. Better the agony than forgetting the love she had for the Doctor.
She could hear a song ringing through her mind. Stretching out a hand, she pointed it at one of the Cybermen. Golden light surrounded her and then shot out from her hand to the Cybermen. They screamed and then faded into dust as the very atoms of their existence were erased.
Rose sighed, her eyes rolling back into her head, as she tumbled to the cold ground.